Continuous base receptacle



Feb-14,1939, MNFARLANE 2,146,829

CONTINUOUS BASE RECEPTACLE Filed June 4, 1938 fioberrMwa iy e BY621F002]! Meta/mack Patented Feb. 14, 193$ CONTINUOUS BASE RECEPTACLERobert MacFarlane, Astoria, Longlsland, N. Y., and Robert McCormack,Kearney, N. J.

Application June 4, 1938, semi No. 211,736

1 Claim.

The purpose of this invention is to provide im-. provements in basereceptacles of the continuous type, in which the openings are closedinside of the molding or receptacle, and also in which all 5 wiring inthe molding or receptacle is eliminated except at the ends thereof.-

The invention is an elongated box adapted to be inserted in or on theface of a,wall, or it may cause they are too costly, and, furthermore,any form of open slot without a positive elastic clobut these deviceshave not been successful besure is objectionable because they allow airand dust to enter the receptacle, gradually filling the same, and,although spring metal and other closures, such as separablefasteners'have been provided, these are too costly for ordinary use, sothat it has been found desirable to simplify the closure by using arelatively small strip of rubher with a central slit through which thecontact prongs of a plug may be forced. Without these rubber strips, itis also-possible to receive a shock by the prongs engaging metal,particularly in a faulty plug, whereas, with the rubber inserts, this ispositively prevented. Other similar devices have used a plurality ofcontact points connected by wires, but any wiring in a device of thisnature is objectionable, and any form of continuous metal contact thatrequires complicated construction is too costly, so that it has beenfound desirable to directly mount two bus bars by molding their ends ina strip of insulating material, such as a phenol insulator, so that theentire device may be insulated as a unit, and the only connectionsnecessary to electric wires are at the end of the bus bars.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to improve receptacles oroutlets'by providing insulating closures for the prong receivingopenings thereof.

Another object is to provide improvements in continuous plug outlets byproviding continuous bus bars thereinf a Another object is to provideimprovements in continuous outlets, in which the outlets are "of the busbars.

And a still further object is to provide continuous outlets for plugs ofelectric fixtures and the like, which are provided withv sealing meansfor 10 the openings and bus bars which are of a simple and economicalconstruction.

With these ends in view the invention embodies a relatively thin shell,with slots insulated by strips having relatively long slits, with the m-15 ner edges of the rubber strips extending inward and coming together,providing sealing means, and with the outer parts of the said rubberstrips grooved to receive the edges of the shell surrounding the slots;and also continuous metallic 20 bus bars dovetailed in strips ofi'nsulatingmaterial sloping toward a central point, providing a wedgeaction for contact prongs or plugs, and positioned to engage said prongswhen the prongs are inserted through the slits in the strips of 25rubber.

Otherfeatures and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description, taken in connection with the drawing, wherelm-Figure 1 isa view showing a typical arrangement of the continuousoutlets.

Figure 2 is a detail showing a cross section through the outlets, withthe complete box-like molding positioned on the outside of the wallsurface. 35

Figure 3 is a detail showing the shell formin the cover.

Figure 4 is a section similar to that shown in Figure 2, with the p ugomitted, and also showing an alternate des gn'in which the upper surfaceof the shell forms a molding strip.

Figure 51s a detail showing a typical mounting for the bus bars.

In the drawing the outlets are shown as they may be made, whereinnumeral I indicates the 45 shell, numeral 2, the rubber strips, andnumerals Sand 4, the bus bars.

In the design shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the shell I is formed of arelatively thin sheet of ma-.' terial, with slots 5 and 6 extendingcontinuously 50 through the intermediate part, with the ends spaced fromthe ends of the shell as shown in Figure 1, and the rubber strips 2 maybe sprung into these slots, with grooves and I in the upper and lowersurfaces into which the edges of the metal, corresponding withtheedgesof the slots, extendasshown. Theinnerpartsofthernbbcrstripstextendinward, iormingiiangesland ll,

and these are curved toward the center of thethroughthestripsiandeontactthelmsbars:

land l extending outward'irom abuse I, and,whentheplugiswithdramtheinnerendsofthe rubber strips will move-backtogether, clodng the openings and providing a complete seal.

Thebusbars 3 andl, whichmaybemadeoif copper, brass, or any suitablematerial, are shown dovetailed in slots II and ll, in which they may bemolded in the base ll, however, it will be understood that these barsmay be of any shape or design, and may be mounted in any manner.

-In the designshownin Flgure2,thebase II is provided withan outwardlyextending flange IQ, and, inFigure 5, this flangeis omittedand thebusbars aremountedinaflat slabilinwhich the bars are indicated by thenumerals II and 22. It will beunderstood, however, that thesebarsmaybemountedinanymanner. it

vInthedesignshowninFlgure4,tliedcvi forms the complete base-board ormolding, in which the shell is indicated by the numeral 23, and thisisprovided with slits 28 and I5 iii-which the rubber strips 2 may bemounted, and the upper edgeis curved upwandasshown at thepoint 26,however, it will be'understood that this may beilatoroianyshap,andalsothatthelower partmaybecurvedoriormedofanydeslgm-It,will be understoodthat other changes may.bemadewithoutdepartingiromthesiaritotthe invention. One ofwhichchangesmaybein the shape ordesign oftheshellorcananothermaybeintheuseoislotsotanyotherlensmasit will'beunderstoodthatthesemayberelatively short or long, ormaybecontinmusmlfthesemaybedividedatany pointorpoints, and stillanother maybeintheshapeorarrangementotthebus bars, as any means may be used for providingcontacts adapted to be engaged by the prongs of a plug at any point.

The construction will be readily understood from the foregoingdescription. In use the parts may be provided as shown and described,and the device may be installed in a continuous slot in a wall so thatit is flush with the race thereof, or it may be placed upon the top of abase-board, or used as molding, or may extend from a wall as shown inFigure 2, or, as hereinbetore stated, may be arranged in any manner orpositioned at any point. with this device installed as shownanddescribedaplugmaybeinserted atany point along the base of the wall,and, at the same time, it is only we? to have two connections at theends of the bus bars to electric wires, so

that all screws and iastenings of any type are eliminated except at theend, and, at the same time, with the strips of rubber as shown anddescribed, the openings are completely sealed. It will also beunderstood that the bus bars, shell, and sealing strips may be of anymaterial instead of metal insulation and rubber as shown and dwcribed.

Having thus fully described the invention, what we claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent. is:

A continuous base outlet of the type comprising a receptacle extendingcontinuously along the base of a wall or the like having elongated slotsin the face thereof, with continuous bus bars mountedinaninsulatingbasebehindand corresponding with the slots, means sealing saidslotscomprising strips of rubberlike insulating material having slitstherein mounted in .the slots, with flanges extending inwardly on eachside of the slim with theinner ends curved together for closing the saidslits.

ROBERT MAGFARLANE. ROBERT MOCORMACK.

